Wheelchairs and scooters are an important means of transportation for a significant portion of society. Whether manual or powered, these vehicles provide an important degree of independence for those they assist. However, this degree of independence can be limited if the wheelchair is required to traverse obstacles such as, for example, curbs that are commonly present at sidewalks, driveways, and other paved surface interfaces. This degree of independence can also be limited if the vehicle is required to ascend inclines or descend declines.
Most wheelchairs have front and rear anti-tip wheels to stabilize the chair from excessive tipping forward or backward and to ensure that the drive wheels are always in contact with the ground. The anti-tip wheels are typically much smaller than the drive wheels and located both forward and rearward of the drive wheels.